I got a couple barrels from the laundry department where I work, I can get more too I think. They are plastic and the top does not remove. There are a couple of caps on the lid though.
I am wondering what the best strategy would be in hooking these barrels up to my gutter.
Here is a shot of the top. I am guessing you make the water go in the top of one end, and out the bottom of the other barrel. They would be attached at the bottom with a pipe, so the water would be at the same level in both barrels and my rain barrel capacity would depend on how many barrels were linked. I would think that the pipes that attach them would have to be an optimum diameter for quick filling in heavy rain?
Not an expert on the linking but I do hope you can clean them well before using for plants?
They had antisurficants in them and bleach, I am rinsing them every few days. Plus I will use the first water on a section of yard at first just to be sure. A coworker has a couple and has been using them but not in the same manner I want to. They use them for drainage, then manually dip the water out for plants.
They must have removed the tops? If you are able to leave them intact, you will have better mosquito control.
There is a mind-boggling amount of information out there on building rain barrels. You might start with the link below which was or is (don't know if it is closed or not) a co-op for buying rain barrels and hardware for making your own. Included are links to suppliers and probably DIY instructions. There is also a follow up discussion link on that forum. I was thinking of buying through the co-op but decided not to. A web search will also give you more information than you want.
From a little that I have read the important elements are a filter and a diverter from the downspout so that if the barrels do fill the water goes back where it would usually flow.
Okay, forgot to include the link. Senior moment.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/967743/
Hey, Margocstn, notice my username? You must live on Wilmington Island (golfcourse and marsh). I live off Largo Dr. on the southside near where it dead ends. Just wanted to see how the rain barrels have worked out for you. I have not been able to bring myself to plop down the $200.00 or so it would take to purchase one from the internet and have it shipped. Your garden looks great!
I have not set the rain barrels up yet. I had a knee operation in march and was not able to do as much prep work as I wanted. But I did get some tomatoe plants, and between them and the squash and beans it's coming along nicely.
The vine borers seem to have made there entrance so my squash bed will probably thin out. We have gotten more rain lately and I havn't had to water much. I keep putting off the rain barrels. I think I can get more!
They have tops, the screw covers come off, they are about 4 inches in diameter.
here's a site that might help you, there's even a video to show you the how-to. I want to do one of these and hook my washing machine to it and use my washer water to water trees and shrubs. I think the video shows single and double barrel systems.
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/around-the-house/stories/how-to-start-a-home-rain-barrel-project
I have 6 rain barrels of the type of barrel that you have. Mine are food-grade (obtained from a fruit processing company locally). Not sure about what yours would retain of the toxic former contents.
My barrels did not have the top removed. The barrels were turned upside down and one of the two screw caps in what was the top (now the bottom) was used as the outlet for the barrel. It has a brass hose fitting screwed into the former cap (drilled out a hole in it to fit the hose fitting). A hose is attached for drawing water out of the barrel. It has a brass fitting with a handle that allows you to turn it on and off. The barrel itself sits up on 4 concrete blocks to allow for the hose on the under side.I get enough water pressure to water with a fan-type nozzle, as long as it is flowing downhill.
A hole slightly larger than the size of the downspout was cut in the former bottom (now the top) for collecting the rain. The downspout (cut off to the right length) fits into the hole with a piece of heavy plastic mesh around it to catch debris. The barrel also has an overflow hole in the side, near the top, with some drain pipe attached. This is very important because you don't want a fountain coming up into your downspout in a heavy rain. Sorry I don't have a picture of this for you to look at.
Also, I see that your barrels are white. I have a friend that has a white one and it grows a LOT of algae in it. I would advise you to paint the barrels a dark color before hooking them up.
Oh! I just found a website where a guy showed how he made rain barrels out of similar types of drums!! He said it took him about 30 mins to convert the barrel to a rain barrel. I'll find the link and post it when I get home from work.
Here's the website: http://engineeredgarden.blogspot.com/2009/05/making-rain-barrel.html
Here's another design a guy made in about 10 minutes. Although, his only has the hose connection, not the faucet connection. Cost him about $10.
http://gravitygarden.com/rainbucket/?page_id=46
